That reprimand followed a similar cover-up order for the Beijing show earlier in the year.

But this year's Shanghai motor show was a more sedate affair. While models still favoured plunging necklines and short skirts, there were none of the see-through blouses and exposed skin of last year.

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Motor shows around the world are drawing criticism for their continued use of promotional girls, with critics suggesting the long established practice of having pretty girls on show stands is archaic and sexist.

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

7 comments so far

Of course it is sexist and archaic, but that is the point. The Simpsons has an episode where people at an air show were equally excited at an impending crash and bitterly disappointed when the pilots avoided the crash (repeatedly). The beautiful women are to add an appeal that would not otherwise exist. Have you ever eaten unsalted baked beans, arguably better for you, but damn awful to eat. Car shows without scantily clad ladies are the same. Give it a while and the hotties will return. Not fair to gender equality but the pursuit of the almighty dollar owes no allegiance to fairness or forward thinking. Things will only change when the buying power of women matches men such to the point that car manufactures cannot derive sufficient profit from such events to justify the cost. Equality will bear no weight in the decision.

Commenter

Vroom Vroom

Location

Dashboard City Limits

Date and time

April 22, 2013, 12:32PM

"Of course it is sexist and archaic"

I would have stopped there. Its not OK, just like some drunken imbecile hurling racial abuse on a train is not OK. It ought to stop.

There is no justification for treating women like this or continuing to hold the view that a new car is best displayed by having it drapped with sexually provocative good looking women. It's just so lame that I find it personally insulting that anyone would think this would ever motivate me to be interested in their car.

Having known a few models who did this convinces me more. They came home having hated the experience, been gropped or disgusted at the 'thoughties' gross blokes were giving them. Great at smiling, awesome looking (some of it plastic) but all the while wishing they were somewhere else.

Rather than have what are clearly beautiful women getting in my face I'd rather they have engineers or technicians there to talk details about their products. Cutaway moving engines, transmissions and more to explain internals, ease of servicing or info about the vehicles R&D. Maybe have someone who makes them and has pride in their product entertain the crowd.

There are so many better alternatives to get guys really interested into a car product that don't have to involve this. Some of us did grow and mature beyond 14.

Grid girls have to go next. Just as embarrasing. Ever notice Casey Stoner only ever had his wife on the grid?

Sadly as per the poll I'm definitely in the minority.

Commenter

MattG

Location

Date and time

April 22, 2013, 8:05PM

Beautiful young men could add appeal too,and women , men and gays buy cars, not just heteros with too much money.Young gay men are often very very wealthy.Old gay men are usually wealthier.So they should either be equality driven or remove the discrimination.They will succumb to the new Puritanism , the bearded celibate live at home with Mum and Dad till married monogamously to either same or opposite sex virgin partner s , because the profits from the new world housing market controls cover any losses to publicans or brothels anyway.Course lets see the Pill sales start to slump to see promiscuity promted at just the right level, just the right carefully researched degree to ensure no profit loss there.

Commenter

Kane

Location

Date and time

April 23, 2013, 7:11AM

I find no problem in celebrating the beauty of women next to a beautiful car at a motorshow. Unless there is some vulgar or degrading depiction of women then that is another story, but this clearly is not the case. What we need to be putting the brakes on is political correctness and our unrelenting march towards communism.

For many of these women, the motorshow represents a great employment opportunity and perhaps opportunity for further modelling employment.

Also, when car manufacturers do unveilings at motorshows, it's not uncommon for a male model to be standing close by as well, but little is said of that.

Commenter

Seats and a steerimg wheel

Location

Date and time

April 22, 2013, 1:29PM

I think the point is that any association with female sexuality and the advancement of a capitalist endeavour is damaging as it present an image that to be successful a female must look like that model. Whilst my base male identity is draw to the scantily clad ladies my higher reasoning sees that this ultimately a negative use of the female body. What others decry as political correctness is rather an attempt to say that the male anglo-saxon-celtic viewpoint shouldn't be accepted as the norm, and that as a society we should aim to formulate social norms that are inclusive of all manner of social and cultural identities. To call it political correctness is not to understand the situation. Strange thing the aims of Communism coincide with those of Christianity (except with the requirement of a deity). If males are used at motor shows, I imagine they are used for entirely different purposes than women. Do you really want to advocate modelling as a career for women? Just because one can, doesn't mean that one should.

Commenter

Vroom Vroom

Location

Dashboard City Limits

Date and time

April 22, 2013, 1:56PM

Vroom Vacuum,Yes, you may be right, but it could be equally interpreted as advertising for procreation, and, in such case, I fail to see any connection with "a negative use of the female body"!

Commenter

I know nussink

Location

Date and time

April 22, 2013, 4:58PM

To many men, a car is a phallic extension. A consideration in their purchasing decision is their perception of how a car will attract the opposite sex. Promotional girls are an extension of this fantasy and an effective marketing tool.A car is not phallic to most women, resulting in no single-fit fantasy for marketing to focus on.Thus, promotional girls are the best marketing bang for your buck.